The Langham, London

Few London hotels can claim to have invented the idea of the grand hotel, but The Langham has a fair case. When it opened on Portland Place in June 1865 it was the largest and most modern hotel in the city, with England's first hydraulic lifts, and it has been welcoming guests at the top of Regent Street, on and off, ever since. Today it has 380 rooms and suites and remains one of the capital's most complete five-star addresses.

Location

The Langham sits where Regent Street meets Portland Place, on the edge of Marylebone. Oxford Circus is a few minutes' walk south, putting the shops of Regent Street and Oxford Street on the doorstep, while Regent's Park lies at the other end of Portland Place for a morning walk or run. Marylebone High Street, with its independent shops and neighbourhood restaurants, is just to the west. If you are planning around this part of town, our Marylebone and Baker Street area pages are the natural next step.

A hotel with a past

The building has had an unusually varied life. After wartime damage it spent more than three decades owned by the BBC, which used it as offices and studios across the road from Broadcasting House, before reopening as a hotel in 1991. A major restoration in the 2000s returned much of the building to its original Victorian form, so the public rooms feel grand rather than dated, and the history is part of the pleasure of staying here.

Eating and drinking

The Palm Court has served afternoon tea since the hotel opened, and it remains one of the classic places in London to take it. The Artesian is the hotel's best-known bar, a destination for serious cocktails that draws plenty of Londoners as well as guests. Wigmore, a modern British tavern from Michel Roux Jr, offers something more relaxed, and Mimosa, which opened in 2024, is the hotel's main restaurant. There is enough choice to stay in for the evening without feeling you are missing out.

Wellness

Chuan Body + Soul, the hotel's spa, has a full treatment menu and a swimming pool, which is a genuine advantage in this part of London, where few hotels have one.

Who it suits

The Langham suits visitors who want a traditional grand hotel with proper history, first-class bars and a central address that works equally well for shopping, theatre and business. It is large, so it lacks the intimacy of a townhouse hotel, but for sheer range of things to do without leaving the building it is hard to beat.

For more places to stay, return to our London Hotel Guide or explore the rest of the London Guide. London Escort Guide also lists independent London escorts and the latest new London escorts across Marylebone and the West End.